Spring training autographs, part 1

Obi-Wan and Anakin “help” with this spring’s batch of autograph requests.

Earlier this month, I sent out autograph requests to about 40 major league and minor league players in care of their team’s spring training camps.

Today, I got my first two signed cards back in the mail.

Eddie Butler is one of the top five prospects in the Colorado Rockies’ minor league system. The soon-to-be 24-year-old right-hander made his major league debut last season with mixed results. With luck, he will overcome the difficulty of pitching more than half of his games in hitters’ parks and have a good career.

Nick Tepesch is a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He’s struggled over the past two seasons, but has shown promise at times.